The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Rye Starter

Clasac's picture
Clasac

Rye Starter

Hi, I am new and pleasingly stupid about this, pleasingly because I am a blank slate learning from you all, and I love it. Okay 1st sourdough from APF turned sour in 3 days. This one I will refer to as JOBA, is made from a medium Rye, with a lot of grain in it.  I am using the method of unsweetened juice, 2T at a time daily for 3 days. All is fine, have a thin plastic and rubber band lid on it. This morning when I went to feed JOBA, I noticed he has white  white fuzz on the edge of the glass. I know I have not started a chia pet, and am wondering if something is wrong can I save JOBA, or must I create another one. this is Day 3, still thick, and had white fuzz.

 

Clasac

bmoo's picture
bmoo

but I also can't help but compliment you on a great turn of phrase:  "pleasingly stupid."  I'm definitely stealing that one and will use it to remind myself to be pleasing when stupid!

-- Barbara

 

Clasac's picture
Clasac

That and "Honest to the point of stupidity" are my favorites, and incredibly accurate at times! LOL Thank you!

 

Clasac

Yerffej's picture
Yerffej

White fuzz does not sound good.  On the other hand your description of "on the edge of the glass" makes me wonder if it is simply dried starter.  Is it a growing three dimensional fuzz or just a white film on the glass?

Jeff

Clasac's picture
Clasac

3 dimensional, and it is gone, I started another one, thing is, it is so thick 2T rye and 2T pineapple juice, it is so thick, the rye has a lot of grain in it. But I just keep trying.

Yerffej's picture
Yerffej

I would take extra care in cleaning the container and utensils used in this project.

Jeff

Clasac's picture
Clasac

Thank you, the new one I cleaned and soaked the little mason jar in hotter water. Crossing my fingers. I got the Book Crust and Crumb for Valentines day, so am pleasingly stupidly frolicking through the pages! I haven't been this happy in years.

 

Something I have learned and this may take 2 passes, lol. The things we know how to do, we do without thinking, talking walking, etc..even our job and the detail. rarely do we remember the actual aggravation and the joy of the learning process, we only know we know how to do it. When we have done something for so long and a twist of a different way of doing it approaches, we belly ache, say we can't etc..

Fact is we are going through the same emotions and feelings we did with everything else we know how to do, so hang in there enjoy the experience for someday soon you will know how to do this too and forget that there was once a time you didn't.

by Clasac

Yerffej's picture
Yerffej

"I haven't been this happy in years."

A job well done.

Jeff

Clasac's picture
Clasac

We shall see.....I looked this morning a JOBA and he is sitting there like a rock, about a half inch deep of a nightmare porridge! No fuzz, I shall feed him today around noon, 2T pineapple, 2T rye, and this is day 3 so on to different things tomorrow, I will continue using the rye, as that seems to be the all time favorite around here, and then I am going to use the 3 different types of starter given in the Crust and Crumb book, I have decided to start my own little chemistry counter, diversity is the key after all. Bound to get something right,and each one will have a daily log so if I do something right, hopefully I will know what that is. Thank you so much for allowing my meandering through the blogs, I am the only one of my "tribe" that cooks or bakes, it's not a lonely existence, however it is a separate language and makes it hard to communicate to the consumers of my experiments.  They love it, they are happy with it, and only I know it's just not quite right. Ever pursuing the "right" loaf. I am part Cherokee, and a lot German and Irish. Baking Bread is in my blood..

 

Clasac

Yerffej's picture
Yerffej

Are you using organic flour?

Jeff

Clasac's picture
Clasac

Hodges Mill Rye, yes it is organic.

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

give it a spoonful more of juice.  Some juices are thicker than others and a very roughly ground rye may soak up more moisture. 

Do you mean Hodgeson Mill Rye?

 

mrfrost's picture
mrfrost

Hodgson Mill

Clasac's picture
Clasac

yes.

Clasac's picture
Clasac

Also I have a very nice rye flour, whole grain i says, and very powdery, probably not a bread word. I don't recall the name of it but it is gotten at Whole Foods Market. I was wondering if I can mix the 2 flours, one is very grainy and the other isn't. The are both whole grain.

Clasac's picture
Clasac

well,

 

Obviously cleaning and sterilizing worked, Joba is looking very well and exactly how the lady said in her Pineapple instructions, today I discard all but 1/4 cup and feed him water and rye, I have filtered water so we move on. All of your instructions so far have been wonderful. I also purchased Crust and Crumb, and have been reading this. The bread world community is as wonderul as the smell of fresh bread coming from your oven. Thank you so much.

 

Clasac

Yerffej's picture
Yerffej

I would strongly suggest that you stay with organic flour.  Triple check that the flour sold by Whole Foods is organic as they sell a lot of non organic products.

Beyond that you can mix any two flours that you would like too...mix, experiment, have fun and "powdery" strikes me as a fine word.

Jeff

Clasac's picture
Clasac

They are both organic, yeah, I hate seeing my precious four in a ziplock bag, now can I make to starters out of my little JOBA who is growing today, instructions say to discard all but 1/4 scant cup and if that is so, why can't I make another starter with wheat and one with rye?

Yerffej's picture
Yerffej

You can make all the starters you want but before long you will find yourself a slave to various starters as you plan your life around the next feeding of starter #3 !!!

I maintain one starter made from whole grain rye.  From there I can make whatever it is that needs making.

Jeff

Clasac's picture
Clasac

Okay, so how do I make a white loaf with a rye starter, and the same with wheat is this were it comes in a few days before I plan to bake, feed it white flour? I never know when I might bake, usually spontaneous and all the time. I am just grasping this so I am giving you alot of detail, I apologize even though i am thoroughly enjoying this learning process.

 

Smiles, clasac

Yerffej's picture
Yerffej

Start with a very small amount of your rye starter and feed it the flour of your choice.  Let it ripen and then use this as the starter to begin your recipe.   The end product will have an insignificant amount of rye in it.

Make certain that your original starter is mature and fully active before you start adding other flours.

 

Jeff